Bassmaster has lost touch with the roots of the sport. They have sold their soul for the all mighty dollar to try and keep their position in the sport. What a shame.
Well said sir. BASS is probably harboring resentment because he has had to choose between the two organizations and has chosen to fish MLF when scheduling conflicts arise. BASS is very wrong for this. I hope Keith wins this fight. He is a good hard working man
One problem is that when they let Keith in with his Tinboat they opened the door for him to get places others can’t reach, but they don’t complain when he doesn’t find or catch the big bags. Keith went up the river for the BPT at Cherokee and fished a damn with a jig and a swimbait . It took an hour out of his fishing day and he paced from one end to the other along the dam and blew them all away.. there’s so much prejudice towards some people,especially when they fish both leagues,like John Cox, and Keith Poche’ ,
Keith doesn't fit the mold that they want. Like anything else these days, follow the money. Sponsors influence tournament rules. No sponsors, no tournaments. It sucks.
@@jefferyholland you are wrong he did violate the tournament water rules, grey area but true, the area he fished was separated by a dam that's the point
@@mikelembke5121 I agree with you and B.A.S.S on the ruling. He did violate the rules, but my comment was more to do with the OP. The rules reflect more on what style of fishing they want and less about fairness. I just think there is room for both.
I marshaled Bassmaster for a couple of years, and drew Keith on Kentucky Lake, and you are correct……we went places that reminded me of fishing the Everglades. I don’t know where we ended up but it looked like a swamp and he was determined to get to the back of it. It was pure fishing, electronics were used to make sure we didn’t run aground and that was it. What a great day…..I got to observe pure fishing!
Randy if the bass fishing industry had your mentality our fisheries would be in better shape and there would be a lot more integrity in this industry. Keep your message goin, it’s not falling on deaf ears 👍🏽💯
Randy, you did it again. Your absolutely right about your interpretation of what happened. I agree a bass fisherman should be able to access and fish water where his boat can get to. Some of these rules are just plain "stupid". I guess one has to consider the source.
It's total BS. This guy is a real credit to the sport. I'm a 100% salt water fisherman and have NEVER caught a largemouth bass in my life. I'm now a subscriber to your channel Randy, Keith's, several other Bass fishermen and even bought into Bass University BECAUSE of the way this guy fishes. They are gonna piss off a lot of the wrong people with this decision. He's everything that's right with the sport. Well said Randy!
The only thing I see is that, technically, the water he was fishing isn’t part of Toledo Bend Reservoir and is North Toledo Bend WMA. Here’s the description from their website where it states that it is adjacent to Toledo Bend Reservoir. “The North Toledo Bend WMA has 3,650 acres and is located in Shelby County, adjacent to Toledo Bend Reservoir”
I believe one of the most creative acts to catch fish I’ve ever seen was some years ago when a young Randy Blaukat pulled the drain plug of his Ranger to let water in to lower the boat enough to get under a bridge at Buggs Island to catch bass. I agree with you, as long as you are not breaking any state or federal rules and not damaging private property, if you can access the water, even if you pull your boat over a log or shallow, you should be able to fish it. Today, if you get stuck on a stump or shoal, can you get out and free your boat or do you have to call for help? Fishing has gotten like NASCAR, too much money from the sponsors and too much micro managing rules, let’s get back to the basics, catching fish and going as fast as you can make the car go.
@@keithhollingsworth3082 yes Keith, that was a long time ago, great memories of the past, 5-1/2’ pistol grip rods, fishing with the use of flasher units before even paper charts came about. Wish I still had those flasher units.
The Lord love you Randy, I'm 67 years old and Ben basson since the Glory Days the real Glory Days back in the late sixties early seventies Tom man Stan Sloan and your stand on today's mechanize fishing is so on point. The gentleman who posted here you were one of the first creative fisherman who called ranger sunk your boat so you could get under that low bridge at buggs Island way back in the 80s Don't think the livescope was would ever have that kind of ingenuity and bass knowledge. I'm certainly not the best bass guy that ever walked the planet but I catch my share and I would like nothing more than just to spend a day fishing with you just fishing. Talkin is a couple of old guys can only do who've lived through a lot of years of fishing. When we lost Jimmy Holt here in the Nashville area we lost a true bridge to our old fishing Ways. Jimmy's picture Grace the cover of the very first bassmaster magazine. Keep preaching brother cuz I'm going to keep watching
Fully agree, this is BS. I enjoy when someone "thinks outside the box". This reminds me of using my grandfather's 16' FeatherCraft aluminum boat working it up brooks in Vermont to gain access to fish no one on the lake had access to.
The best tournament wins to watch and read about are the ones where a guy makes an extra long run to a hot spot or finds a spot that’s difficult to get in and out of that takes some work. Those are my favorite wins to see
I'm with you on this one. He used a permanently affixed structure designed to provide access another part of the same lake. Live imaging didn't bother me until now. They need to permit his style if they're going to allow side scan and livescope...
Poche is exactly what tournament fishing needs, a blue collar guy that shows you can be successful without a $80,000 boat and 6 computer screens. Love that guy. Sadly, I expect more rules to pop up to hinder his style. Seems like that's how it goes when someone has success by thinking outside the norm.
He tried to fish a pond in the North Toledo Bend Wildlife Management Area (NTBWMA) that was not accessible to Toledo Bend Reservoir (TBR) or the Sabine River system via a navigable water route. He would have you believe this is like using a lock between bodies of water (he states as much), but of course it isn't, because a lock is navigable water. What he crossed wasn't a sandbar or a temporary earthen mass or even a beaver dam. He crossed a permanent man-made dry dam using rollers built into the dam to connect TBR to the pond he fished in the NTBWMA. It's easy to see on Google Maps if anyone has further interest. I'm only commenting on the logistics of what occurred, not my personal opinion, as several commenters suggested they didn't understand the situation. Yet, to boil it down to a Randyism we hear often on this channel, "Would winning this way be something to be proud of?"
Also I feel I would be hypocritical to be against the use of livescope but okay with a boat that is on the fringe of the rules using drones to find these areas that are on the fringe of the rules... rules have to be in place and enforced or it's a free for all mess..
Everyone is trying to make this all about an attack on Poche's boat or style of fishing. That's not at all what this was. He very clearly left the tournament waters when he went over dry land to access another body of water that isn't connected to the lake. The roller is there for people to access a pond in the WMA. Going across it was legal, but it would also have been LEGAL for him to put his boat on the trailer and drive to Rayburn for the day and fish. Either way puts you outside of the tournament waters and not a smart move on his part. He's intentionally trying to ride the gray areas and this time it bit him in the butt.
So this water was once part of Toledo bend , and ducks unlimited built a concrete dam across to preserve a good water level for waterfowl so it’s now not considered tournament water ?
At what point did tournament fishing go from benefiting participants and sponsors to mostly benefiting sponsors? It seems to have devolved into a pissing contest of who has the biggest boat, shiniest electronics, and best cheating strategies
100% He broke the rules. People need to stop making excuses for it and accept it. Jumping a wave and leaving the water only to land back in the same water is NOT the same as jumping dry ground to get to a different water hole.
Lord love you Randi for this site. Is a 67 year-old bachelor I've been fishing since 1968. I grew up loving the sport from the time I was twelve or thirteen and I actually live through the Glory Days and you know that the the innovative phase with bass boats came into their own and tackle was much updated. Hi-Tech electronics was a lowrance or hummingbird flasher mounted on a dash that bounced all over in any kind of choppy water. I remember reading the bassmaster magazine for you explained how you sung kyuranger after calling the factory to make sure it wouldn't sink that the buggs Island tournament back in the 80s. You are real key to our here in the Nashville Middle Tennessee area when we lost Jimmy Holt 4pr 5 years ago we lost our last bridge to The past. I'm sure you'll remember that Jimmy's face and a string of bass Grace the cover of the very first Bassmaster magazine in the late sixties. Keep preaching brother just keep listening, 🎣
I agree that is why I bought a Bass Tracker aluminum boat over a Nitro fiberglass boat because I live on the California delta and we have snags and rebar and Chunk rock and sunken boats and old barbed wire fences and everything you can imagine under the water to run into and I like to go in the back Waters we're the guys with the big 18 19 20 ft bass boat don't like to go I like to go behind docks and old sunken barges where they don't like to go
I agree with a lot of what your saying. I’m Just confused why Keith didn’t ask the tournament director the day before if that spot would be ok to fish?
I also was talked about, being able to get in areas others could not with a 14 ft John boat. Also I had a 18 ft bass boat at the same time. This went on for two years. They changed the rules, no John boats, must have a 150-or bigger motor. 😡
He got protested, BASS DQed him for leaving unconnected tournament waters, and Appeals committee consisting of a college angler, opens angler, and an employee upheld the DQ… there’s no conspiracy…
Randy, I frequently dont agree with you but rarely reply and never bash you even on the rare occasion when I think you are full of it. But you nailed it on this one, his DQ was total BS.
Not sure if you know but kieth uses livescope on both his boats including the small aluminum, I watch all his off the grid videos and livescope is used in all those backwater areas he fishes, does that mean u don’t like him now???? I know it’s not as big of a player in shallow water but it for sure let’s u know quickly what’s in area , I have it and use it for this all the time , how do u praise kieth but all the other guys are ruining the sport ?
He just said he's a fan of his didnt he? Randy is partners with guys on his other channel Bass Fishing Declassified who are livescope experts. He's said countless times that he doesn't think anglers who use it are bad people, and he's acknowledged that most pro anglers are practically forced to use it to be competitive, and THAT is the problem.
I have never have been a tourney-angler, but I am aware of the "creep" of rules and technology that is stifling, if not smothering, anglers who choose to take a more "average" position on pro-angling and can still pose a competitive threat to other pros and tournament officials. Ya know, chances are that, if other anglers wished to go "commando" and sneak back into remote, yet in-play, territory----they could probably succeed at going there. Sounds to me that Keith Poche is just a guy who will put in the work to do it! I think others might might, in fact, admire him, yet feel jealous of him.
Expensive electronics don't even work in super shallow fishing.....so this is somewhat a moot point considering what type of fishing Poche does. The electronics are aimed at assisting the deeper, offshore bite where you can't see the structure you're trying to fish. You probably don't like the kid, but Ben Milliken is the up and coming thing on the Bassmaster's tour. He's already punched his ticket to the classic next year by winning by over 10lbs at Toledo Bend. Dude is an absolute unit, and also doesn't sell out to corporate sponsors. Also, being old school doesn't make you a better angler, you're just doing a disservice to yourself by not investing in electronics. Especially if you're trying to make a living in tournament bass fishing.
Keith I'm so sorry about your disqualification in the BASS tournament. I'd like to share something with you that happened to me in a state BASS Federation about 30 years ago that sounds much like what has happened to you except just the opposite. We were fishing on Kentucky Lake out of Parris Landing. We had had a lot of flooding the week prior to the tournament so the water was well above full pool. I'm sure you probably have heard of the place on Kentucky Lake called the duck pond, which is a waterfowl refugee. It's separated from the main lake by an earthen dam. When it floods the water runs over the dam. The locals knew this and they showed up in aluminum boats. The water was about 6" over the dam and they knew could run fast enough to skim across the dam. The first 3 places were locals, out of the douck pond. We protested but BASS awarded them the wins then. Anyway that's my story. Hope this might help in some way. (former BASS member)
Not true, hitting a wave and coming back down you would still be in legal tournament waters. In those case, they are 2 separate body’s of water making it illegal
Curious: You said "you can't pull brush off of areas." What purpose would that serve? Legit question. Is it to remove brush to get into other areas or to simply remove brush that other anglers may intend to fish?
I think Keith and some boat people need to get to together and maybe get some air infused bladder systems to make his boat ultralight. He could flip a switch kick on a small compressor and inflate them when needed to float over those flats.
Couldn’t agree more. Bass fishing has gotten a lot like nascar honestly. Nascar was built on ingenuity, the same with bass fishing. Back in the day Nascar service crews bent the rules to make their cars run faster than the rest of the field. The same with bass fishing, back in the day anglers bent the rules to gain certain advantages against the rest of the field, and that’s what made the sport fun to watch. Nowadays nascar and bass fishing both have restricted things so much to where you can use all the technology you want to gain an advantage over someone that might not be able to afford it, but god forbid someone get creative and be different/ cost effective. It’s ridiculous really. Keith and others are at a disadvantage more more than they have an advantage because of the rigs they run, and the style fishing they constantly choose so why continue to penalize them? All I can see is it’s a money issue for the organizations. And if that’s the issue that drives these decisions? Well then we have an even bigger problem, because anglers are paying more than they ever have to compete, while fishing for the same $100,000 prize that they were 15 years ago...
I watched a fishing tournament where a young man's boat broke down. He was leading the tournament. He made the statement he didn't think he would be able to fish because he found all his fish with his live scope and without that he couldn't catch any fish..WOW I said to myself. Just my opinion I'm in my 50's I thought that was ridiculous (just mu opinion) so I haven't watched tournament bass fishing since then and probably won't.
Love this take! Yep, if you don't have Garmin/Humminbird/Lowrance as a sponsor or very deep pockets, you can't play. Would love to have all these "Pros" fish in a tournament where everyone has the same 17' Bass tracker and see how they do.
I’m not completely sure,but my understanding is he did not get out of his boat or use anything to help his boat cross, so I really don’t see the problem. Bass should have said the area off limits before hand.
Hey Randy, quick question that was brought to me was there was no water connecting the 2 bodies of water. Is that true or was there actually water that we couldn’t see from the video, pictures, ect? From what I’ve seen there isn’t water connecting the 2 waterways which would make it off limits. Just want a little clarification on this, cause it definitely influences the decision of being against tournament rules and not
Was this body of water ever connected to Toledo Bend? I do not think so. He jumped a concrete dam. If it was connected and just hard to access I have no issue with it. But it sounds like a completely different body of water. It would be like jumping a dam to get into a heavily managed/stocked bass lake that is adjacent to the reservoir.
@@joelspiess5407 just want to know if it is connected to the lake by water at any time. I don’t have an issue if it is. Say like at high water. It would be like jumping a beaver dam to access an oxbow lake adjacent to the river. If never connected then it is a separate body of water. He says it is like locking through but a lock is a connection to another body of water.
Only when the locks are open. No different. During floods if water gets over the roller dam they are considered attached. It's no different if a lake is flooded and the bridges are locking boats from going under and an angler purposely floods his boat to get under. This exact situation has happened during a BASS tournament. What it boils down is Keith decided to fish out of a tin boat and when he does well the others don't like it. Politics are involved in all of this. 6:37
How does what Keith Poche did to be DQ'd different than how Gary Klein WON the 1989 B.A.S.S Texas Invitational on Lake Livingston? During this 1989 tournament, Gary Klein was fishing a backwater area on the lower end of Lake Livingston which required him to do a bit of "tricky navigation" over a sandbar to access the tournament-winning weight.
Let me start by saying from the information I have seen regarding this issue I think the panel who made the judgement for Keith poche to be disqualified was in the wrong. That being said I disagree with the principle that the rules are written to take competitive advantage away from power fishermen. Doing things like sinking brush to physically alter the environment in which you are fishing, or using a chainsaw to alter the environment to create access are simply measures taken to maintain the integrity of the environment that the tournament is held. Accessibility can be influenced by your watercraft and poche has done an excellent job in using that to his advantage. I would just like to see an example of a rule that is directly written to inhibit power fisherman from winning.
Whether the rules are fair or not, I’m still confused as to what the issue was. Seems pretty straightforward…did B.A.S.S. have that area specifically noted as off limits or not. It’s irrelevant what the state laws deem fishable if a tournament says no. If they didn’t have that area marked off limits, then Poche got screwed.
I think Keith Poche enjoys and thrives on the limelight of self made tournament controversy. I hope Keith didn’t upset the conservation, wildlife and the nature of the semi protected Wildlife Management Area by jumping over a dam and stirring up the water with his Mercury outboard and 36 volt trolling motor. Keith could have simply asked the BASS tournament director prior to the first competition day if it was ok to access the WMA area. It would have saved a lot of headaches.
I'm not a regular viewer of your channel but I came here to hear your opinion on this. I just know you are a pros pro and wanted to see your take on it. I agree with you 💯
if this was a court case based on their own rules I can’t see how BASS could win . Their rules lack a tremendous amount of clarity and that really surprises me as long as BASS has been around . Just like the disqualification of an open angler who didn’t have proper insurance liability limits who fished I think 2 days before it was discovered . You would think they would have had procedures in place before that fisherman was allowed to compete day 1 . Been a BASS member for 30 plus years but it doesn’t seem to be the finely tuned organization I always thought it was
I believe there are people anglers & officials who are deliberately trying to push Keith out. They are jealous and he takes away from the narrative that of the need for expensive electronics, boats, and other high dollar items. So there very could be sponsor’s and anglers pushing Bass to make it extremely difficult for anyone who fishes like Keith to succeed.
Im only thirty one years old ive grown up bass fishing grew watching every tournament a guy could watch and its really embarrassing to watch live scope winning tournaments and the guys using it to win if it was me i would be embarrassed! Keith is a breath of fresh air good job 👍
Your exactly like me on the issue. Im sure other anglers probably had something to do with it as well. Just like the forward facing sonar I don’t like it won’t ever buy it I believe its wrong and should not be used period in tournaments but TD of all trails no matter the size is scared to say anything. Today the issue is all about money not about the sport anymore. Thats my opinion anyway for what its worth.
I don’t have all the information to make a solid judgment but if he accessed an area not directly connected to the lake he violated the rules. My understanding is that it’s part of the lake property but has no navigable connection. Similar to fishing an oxbow lake on the Mississippi but not really part of the river.
ive been kind of watching and following and from what ive gathered to this point is that the refuge that he got into is a totally seperate body of water, not connected by water. im with you about getting into those hard to reach places and wish they would remove some of the limits they place on those that are willing to do the work. i usually take atleast one chainsaw with me to a tournament when the rules dont forbid it ;)
It would be fun to see what BASS would do if someone showed up to an event with a legit side scanning sonar, like the ones they use on the commercial tuna boats that can shoot beams out hundreds of feet.
I think you are 100% right. Chainsaws and cutting stuff, can be a tricky thing due to public land rules and stuff. But otherwise, I mean one of the best anglers on top consistently Jacob wheeler, has MANY of his own RUclips videos of him during tournaments pushing pulling and dragging his boat around up shallow. May be different tournament rules for different tournaments but I think that should be perfectly ok. Hell before long we’ll have guys putting active trackers in fish and fishing for them and itl be legal. 🤷🏻♂️😂
Just my 2 cents..I think B.A.S.S. has got their panties in wad against Keith with him also fishing the BPT. He's won an event on the BPT and if memory serves me think he opted out of a BASS event to fish a BPT Derby.
Here is a thought when you enter a tournament you sign an agreement stating to abide by the rules if you do not like the rules do not fish the tournament. Do not agree to abide by the rules and then break them. If you are unsure about something, phone the tournament director for clarification.
Doesn’t it say in the rule book not to fish outside of tournament waters, and not crossing dry land to get to said waters? If so, jumping a land bridge with your boat is definitely against the rules.
aside from mouth hooking, culling, and other good competitive rules on edge cases that are pretty justifiable, this is a hunting sport; maybe not the chainsaw, maybe flag barriers, but I agree that it should ultimately be about fishing, not arbitrary rules about boat size and horse power
Apparently it’s not illegal to get out of the boat to retrieve a lure, next time get hung up, break off the lure, get out of the boat and push across the flat , get back in and fish
Remember you called Ranger boats to see if you could pull your plug out to lower your profile to fish an area and back in the day that was considered cool, now if a guys 21 ft 100000 boat can’t get in there it’s off limits
Prior to 8 a.m. local time the day before the tournament is scheduled to begin, any questionable areas must be brought to the attention of tournament officials to be considered tournament waters. Questionable areas will be off limits until a determination can be made with authorities and may be announced in the briefing or via text for all to know unless determined otherwise by tournament officials. Directly from the 2023 rule book, that simple step would have solved his problem completely. Should it be a rule? Maybe, maybe not but it is and he agreed to fish by them.
Wildlife rules and bass’s rules are two different things. Everyone’s always bitching about FFS and it’s advantages over other anglers. Keith did something legitimately no one in the field could do. Sounds like everyone was at a disadvantage. Cool jump logs and get into back waters but when your out of tournament water for over 100ft on rollers that’s to much.
Bassmaster has lost touch with the roots of the sport. They have sold their soul for the all mighty dollar to try and keep their position in the sport. What a shame.
It sure isnt what Ray Scott envisioned....
At least it'd not mlf
It sure ain’t the same big money taken over.
100% agree!
Well said sir. BASS is probably harboring resentment because he has had to choose between the two organizations and has chosen to fish MLF when scheduling conflicts arise. BASS is very wrong for this. I hope Keith wins this fight. He is a good hard working man
One problem is that when they let Keith in with his Tinboat they opened the door for him to get places others can’t reach, but they don’t complain when he doesn’t find or catch the big bags. Keith went up the river for the BPT at Cherokee and fished a damn with a jig and a swimbait . It took an hour out of his fishing day and he paced from one end to the other along the dam and blew them all away.. there’s so much prejudice towards some people,especially when they fish both leagues,like John Cox, and Keith Poche’ ,
You have to look at BASs rules about fishing wildlife refuges and the refuge system itself
Boo hoo you to bad for them
They could do the same thing if they had the nerve or balls
Shame on them for there actions
Keith doesn't fit the mold that they want. Like anything else these days, follow the money. Sponsors influence tournament rules. No sponsors, no tournaments. It sucks.
@@jefferyholland you are wrong he did violate the tournament water rules, grey area but true, the area he fished was separated by a dam that's the point
@@mikelembke5121 I agree with you and B.A.S.S on the ruling. He did violate the rules, but my comment was more to do with the OP. The rules reflect more on what style of fishing they want and less about fairness. I just think there is room for both.
I marshaled Bassmaster for a couple of years, and drew Keith on Kentucky Lake, and you are correct……we went places that reminded me of fishing the Everglades. I don’t know where we ended up but it looked like a swamp and he was determined to get to the back of it. It was pure fishing, electronics were used to make sure we didn’t run aground and that was it. What a great day…..I got to observe pure fishing!
if you made it to the bottoms.. thats nuts. was it near ken lake area?
Randy if the bass fishing industry had your mentality our fisheries would be in better shape and there would be a lot more integrity in this industry. Keep your message goin, it’s not falling on deaf ears 👍🏽💯
Randy, you did it again. Your absolutely right about your interpretation of what happened. I agree a bass fisherman should be able to access and fish water where his boat can get to. Some of these rules are just plain "stupid". I guess one has to consider the source.
Thx man
It's total BS. This guy is a real credit to the sport. I'm a 100% salt water fisherman and have NEVER caught a largemouth bass in my life. I'm now a subscriber to your channel Randy, Keith's, several other Bass fishermen and even bought into Bass University BECAUSE of the way this guy fishes. They are gonna piss off a lot of the wrong people with this decision. He's everything that's right with the sport. Well said Randy!
100%
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Thx for providing another 20 reasons why I would never waste a dime on tournament fishing …
You and me both!!
The only thing I see is that, technically, the water he was fishing isn’t part of Toledo Bend Reservoir and is North Toledo Bend WMA. Here’s the description from their website where it states that it is adjacent to Toledo Bend Reservoir.
“The North Toledo Bend WMA has 3,650 acres and is located in Shelby County, adjacent to Toledo Bend Reservoir”
Totally agree! Keith is being punished for not fishing the way they want him to.
Agree 100% with you on the Poche deal. B.A.S.S. has become a joke the last several years
I believe one of the most creative acts to catch fish I’ve ever seen was some years ago when a young Randy Blaukat pulled the drain plug of his Ranger to let water in to lower the boat enough to get under a bridge at Buggs Island to catch bass. I agree with you, as long as you are not breaking any state or federal rules and not damaging private property, if you can access the water, even if you pull your boat over a log or shallow, you should be able to fish it. Today, if you get stuck on a stump or shoal, can you get out and free your boat or do you have to call for help? Fishing has gotten like NASCAR, too much money from the sponsors and too much micro managing rules, let’s get back to the basics, catching fish and going as fast as you can make the car go.
Think he removed some of the windshield and other things on that ranger . Long time ago . Good old days
I would love for him to make a video on this story
@@TheVoidNoobhe has. I think it’s titled sinking my boat to win my first bass event
@@keithhollingsworth3082 yes Keith, that was a long time ago, great memories of the past, 5-1/2’ pistol grip rods, fishing with the use of flasher units before even paper charts came about. Wish I still had those flasher units.
The Lord love you Randy, I'm 67 years old and Ben basson since the Glory Days the real Glory Days back in the late sixties early seventies Tom man Stan Sloan and your stand on today's mechanize fishing is so on point. The gentleman who posted here you were one of the first creative fisherman who called ranger sunk your boat so you could get under that low bridge at buggs Island way back in the 80s
Don't think the livescope was would ever have that kind of ingenuity and bass knowledge. I'm certainly not the best bass guy that ever walked the planet but I catch my share and I would like nothing more than just to spend a day fishing with you just fishing. Talkin is a couple of old guys can only do who've lived through a lot of years of fishing. When we lost Jimmy Holt here in the Nashville area we lost a true bridge to our old fishing Ways. Jimmy's picture Grace the cover of the very first bassmaster magazine. Keep preaching brother cuz I'm going to keep watching
Fully agree, this is BS. I enjoy when someone "thinks outside the box".
This reminds me of using my grandfather's 16' FeatherCraft aluminum boat working it up brooks in Vermont to gain access to fish no one on the lake had access to.
The best tournament wins to watch and read about are the ones where a guy makes an extra long run to a hot spot or finds a spot that’s difficult to get in and out of that takes some work. Those are my favorite wins to see
I'm with you on this one. He used a permanently affixed structure designed to provide access another part of the same lake. Live imaging didn't bother me until now. They need to permit his style if they're going to allow side scan and livescope...
It’s all about the money unfortunately
Agreed and he let them know how he felt at the weigh on at lay lake today. Pissed Mercer off 😂
Poche is exactly what tournament fishing needs, a blue collar guy that shows you can be successful without a $80,000 boat and 6 computer screens. Love that guy. Sadly, I expect more rules to pop up to hinder his style. Seems like that's how it goes when someone has success by thinking outside the norm.
Heard his setup is still 80k lol idk if it's true. Still smaller and aluminum, though, which is cool to see.
He tried to fish a pond in the North Toledo Bend Wildlife Management Area (NTBWMA) that was not accessible to Toledo Bend Reservoir (TBR) or the Sabine River system via a navigable water route. He would have you believe this is like using a lock between bodies of water (he states as much), but of course it isn't, because a lock is navigable water. What he crossed wasn't a sandbar or a temporary earthen mass or even a beaver dam. He crossed a permanent man-made dry dam using rollers built into the dam to connect TBR to the pond he fished in the NTBWMA. It's easy to see on Google Maps if anyone has further interest. I'm only commenting on the logistics of what occurred, not my personal opinion, as several commenters suggested they didn't understand the situation. Yet, to boil it down to a Randyism we hear often on this channel, "Would winning this way be something to be proud of?"
To me if it has a roller dam the waters have to touch and it should be legal for him to fish it....just my thoughts
I agree with you Mister Twister ... it has to be a navigable waterway... and not part of a wildlife management area..
Also I feel I would be hypocritical to be against the use of livescope but okay with a boat that is on the fringe of the rules using drones to find these areas that are on the fringe of the rules... rules have to be in place and enforced or it's a free for all mess..
Everyone is trying to make this all about an attack on Poche's boat or style of fishing. That's not at all what this was. He very clearly left the tournament waters when he went over dry land to access another body of water that isn't connected to the lake. The roller is there for people to access a pond in the WMA. Going across it was legal, but it would also have been LEGAL for him to put his boat on the trailer and drive to Rayburn for the day and fish. Either way puts you outside of the tournament waters and not a smart move on his part. He's intentionally trying to ride the gray areas and this time it bit him in the butt.
So this water was once part of Toledo bend , and ducks unlimited built a concrete dam across to preserve a good water level for waterfowl so it’s now not considered tournament water ?
Keith and John are two of the most badass dudes in the sport right now. They are
Smoking the competition with less and some people can’t stand it
Just like here 2 young anglers was fishing with a small flat bottom and doing well. So the club put a roll in you have to use a bass boat.
I am pulling off my bassmaster stickers off my boat and truck. I have been a member on and off since the early 80 s.
Video game fishing is killing the sport for the little guy. A lot of us can not afford to keep up. Great video.
At what point did tournament fishing go from benefiting participants and sponsors to mostly benefiting sponsors? It seems to have devolved into a pissing contest of who has the biggest boat, shiniest electronics, and best cheating strategies
20-25 years ago
I'm a fan of Keith but shouldn't jumping dry ground be considered leaving tournament waters?
100% He broke the rules. People need to stop making excuses for it and accept it. Jumping a wave and leaving the water only to land back in the same water is NOT the same as jumping dry ground to get to a different water hole.
@@kenpiper7524 Yes, he broke the BASSMASTER rules. You can't jump dams and get in unaccessible water.
@@DonG-c4j looks like it was pretty accessible for Keith and that’s the same water on high tide.
As I was reading about the decision, you were one of the guys I was thinking about. Knowing how far you would go to get on your fish.
Lord love you Randi for this site. Is a 67 year-old bachelor I've been fishing since 1968. I grew up loving the sport from the time I was twelve or thirteen and I actually live through the Glory Days and you know that the the innovative phase with bass boats came into their own and tackle was much updated. Hi-Tech electronics was a lowrance or hummingbird flasher mounted on a dash that bounced all over in any kind of choppy water. I remember reading the bassmaster magazine for you explained how you sung kyuranger after calling the factory to make sure it wouldn't sink that the buggs Island tournament back in the 80s. You are real key to our here in the Nashville Middle Tennessee area when we lost Jimmy Holt 4pr 5 years ago we lost our last bridge to The past. I'm sure you'll remember that Jimmy's face and a string of bass Grace the cover of the very first Bassmaster magazine in the late sixties. Keep preaching brother just keep listening, 🎣
I agree that is why I bought a Bass Tracker aluminum boat over a Nitro fiberglass boat because I live on the California delta and we have snags and rebar and Chunk rock and sunken boats and old barbed wire fences and everything you can imagine under the water to run into and I like to go in the back Waters we're the guys with the big 18 19 20 ft bass boat don't like to go I like to go behind docks and old sunken barges where they don't like to go
I agree with a lot of what your saying. I’m
Just confused why Keith didn’t ask the tournament director the day before if that spot would be ok to fish?
I also was talked about, being able to get in areas others could not with a 14 ft John boat. Also I had a 18 ft bass boat at the same time. This went on for two years. They changed the rules, no John boats, must have a 150-or bigger motor. 😡
He got protested, BASS DQed him for leaving unconnected tournament waters, and Appeals committee consisting of a college angler, opens angler, and an employee upheld the DQ… there’s no conspiracy…
Randy, I frequently dont agree with you but rarely reply and never bash you even on the rare occasion when I think you are full of it. But you nailed it on this one, his DQ was total BS.
They dont want him there, started after his last MLF win. They dont like his smaller boat to start then the MLF deal. Ridiculous what theyre doing!
Not sure if you know but kieth uses livescope on both his boats including the small aluminum, I watch all his off the grid videos and livescope is used in all those backwater areas he fishes, does that mean u don’t like him now???? I know it’s not as big of a player in shallow water but it for sure let’s u know quickly what’s in area , I have it and use it for this all the time , how do u praise kieth but all the other guys are ruining the sport ?
He just said he's a fan of his didnt he? Randy is partners with guys on his other channel Bass Fishing Declassified who are livescope experts. He's said countless times that he doesn't think anglers who use it are bad people, and he's acknowledged that most pro anglers are practically forced to use it to be competitive, and THAT is the problem.
I have never have been a tourney-angler, but I am aware of the "creep" of rules and technology that is stifling, if not smothering, anglers who choose to take a more "average" position on pro-angling and can still pose a competitive threat to other pros and tournament officials. Ya know, chances are that, if other anglers wished to go "commando" and sneak back into remote, yet in-play, territory----they could probably succeed at going there. Sounds to me that Keith Poche is just a guy who will put in the work to do it! I think others might might, in fact, admire him, yet feel jealous of him.
Just curious, with your style of shallow water fishing and stance on forward facing sonar, have you considered going to a tin boat?
This is exactly why I personally hate these so called pro tournaments. To much Bull crap and politics. Keep it going Keith!!!
Expensive electronics don't even work in super shallow fishing.....so this is somewhat a moot point considering what type of fishing Poche does.
The electronics are aimed at assisting the deeper, offshore bite where you can't see the structure you're trying to fish. You probably don't like the kid, but Ben Milliken is the up and coming thing on the Bassmaster's tour. He's already punched his ticket to the classic next year by winning by over 10lbs at Toledo Bend. Dude is an absolute unit, and also doesn't sell out to corporate sponsors.
Also, being old school doesn't make you a better angler, you're just doing a disservice to yourself by not investing in electronics. Especially if you're trying to make a living in tournament bass fishing.
Poche Is the man!
Keith I'm so sorry about your disqualification in the BASS tournament. I'd like to share something with you that happened to me in a state BASS Federation about 30 years ago that sounds much like what has happened to you except just the opposite.
We were fishing on Kentucky Lake out of Parris Landing. We had had a lot of flooding the week prior to the tournament so the water was well above full pool. I'm sure you probably have heard of the place on Kentucky Lake called the duck pond, which is a waterfowl refugee. It's separated from the main lake by an earthen dam. When it floods the water runs over the dam. The locals knew this and they showed up in aluminum boats. The water was about 6" over the dam and they knew could run fast enough to skim across the dam. The first 3 places were locals, out of the douck pond. We protested but BASS awarded them the wins then.
Anyway that's my story. Hope this might help in some way.
(former BASS member)
They need to diquaify people because they hit a wave and there boat leaves the water based upon Bassmasters statement!
Not true, hitting a wave and coming back down you would still be in legal tournament waters. In those case, they are 2 separate body’s of water making it illegal
Curious: You said "you can't pull brush off of areas." What purpose would that serve? Legit question. Is it to remove brush to get into other areas or to simply remove brush that other anglers may intend to fish?
Agree RB.......theyve tainted what was once one of the purest sports around......it is now a dirty business......makes me sick
I think Keith and some boat people need to get to together and maybe get some air infused bladder systems to make his boat ultralight. He could flip a switch kick on a small compressor and inflate them when needed to float over those flats.
Couldn’t agree more. Bass fishing has gotten a lot like nascar honestly. Nascar was built on ingenuity, the same with bass fishing. Back in the day Nascar service crews bent the rules to make their cars run faster than the rest of the field. The same with bass fishing, back in the day anglers bent the rules to gain certain advantages against the rest of the field, and that’s what made the sport fun to watch. Nowadays nascar and bass fishing both have restricted things so much to where you can use all the technology you want to gain an advantage over someone that might not be able to afford it, but god forbid someone get creative and be different/ cost effective. It’s ridiculous really. Keith and others are at a disadvantage more more than they have an advantage because of the rigs they run, and the style fishing they constantly choose so why continue to penalize them? All I can see is it’s a money issue for the organizations. And if that’s the issue that drives these decisions? Well then we have an even bigger problem, because anglers are paying more than they ever have to compete, while fishing for the same $100,000 prize that they were 15 years ago...
I watched a fishing tournament where a young man's boat broke down. He was leading the tournament. He made the statement he didn't think he would be able to fish because he found all his fish with his live scope and without that he couldn't catch any fish..WOW I said to myself. Just my opinion I'm in my 50's I thought that was ridiculous (just mu opinion) so I haven't watched tournament bass fishing since then and probably won't.
Love this take! Yep, if you don't have Garmin/Humminbird/Lowrance as a sponsor or very deep pockets, you can't play. Would love to have all these "Pros" fish in a tournament where everyone has the same 17' Bass tracker and see how they do.
keith is sponsored by garmin....
And no electronics
I’m not completely sure,but my understanding is he did not get out of his boat or use anything to help his boat cross, so I really don’t see the problem. Bass should have said the area off limits before hand.
Hey Randy, quick question that was brought to me was there was no water connecting the 2 bodies of water. Is that true or was there actually water that we couldn’t see from the video, pictures, ect? From what I’ve seen there isn’t water connecting the 2 waterways which would make it off limits. Just want a little clarification on this, cause it definitely influences the decision of being against tournament rules and not
100% agree with you Randy! Shallow power guys are handicapped by the BASS rules. Guess that's not what sells.
Was this body of water ever connected to Toledo Bend? I do not think so. He jumped a concrete dam. If it was connected and just hard to access I have no issue with it. But it sounds like a completely different body of water. It would be like jumping a dam to get into a heavily managed/stocked bass lake that is adjacent to the reservoir.
He went over a roller ramp it’s designed for what Poche did, placed there by TPWD.
@@joelspiess5407 just want to know if it is connected to the lake by water at any time. I don’t have an issue if it is. Say like at high water. It would be like jumping a beaver dam to access an oxbow lake adjacent to the river. If never connected then it is a separate body of water. He says it is like locking through but a lock is a connection to another body of water.
Only when the locks are open. No different. During floods if water gets over the roller dam they are considered attached. It's no different if a lake is flooded and the bridges are locking boats from going under and an angler purposely floods his boat to get under. This exact situation has happened during a BASS tournament. What it boils down is Keith decided to fish out of a tin boat and when he does well the others don't like it. Politics are involved in all of this. 6:37
I am a life long member of BASS, I just wonder is this a retaliation for fishing mlf instead of bass due to the conflict of tournament schedule s???
Im sure it didn't help his case
I agree with this 110%, BASS has made fishing to expensive for the average guy! Keith fishes it like it should be done not with $40k+ in electronics.
The day Ray Scott left, Bassmaster’s program changed.
What's even worse is how far FLW has fallen since Forrest L. Wood got too old to manage FLW. It's now MLF and MLF is a joke.
How does what Keith Poche did to be DQ'd different than how Gary Klein WON the 1989 B.A.S.S Texas Invitational on Lake Livingston? During this 1989 tournament, Gary Klein was fishing a backwater area on the lower end of Lake Livingston which required him to do a bit of "tricky navigation" over a sandbar to access the tournament-winning weight.
Let me start by saying from the information I have seen regarding this issue I think the panel who made the judgement for Keith poche to be disqualified was in the wrong. That being said I disagree with the principle that the rules are written to take competitive advantage away from power fishermen. Doing things like sinking brush to physically alter the environment in which you are fishing, or using a chainsaw to alter the environment to create access are simply measures taken to maintain the integrity of the environment that the tournament is held. Accessibility can be influenced by your watercraft and poche has done an excellent job in using that to his advantage. I would just like to see an example of a rule that is directly written to inhibit power fisherman from winning.
Whether the rules are fair or not, I’m still confused as to what the issue was. Seems pretty straightforward…did B.A.S.S. have that area specifically noted as off limits or not. It’s irrelevant what the state laws deem fishable if a tournament says no. If they didn’t have that area marked off limits, then Poche got screwed.
BASS did not have any regulations on that area. It was fair game, Keith took that opportunity and fished it Legally.
You have to look at BASS rules on refuge fishing and the refuge fishing regulations pertaining to tournaments
Different states have different rules on refuge fishing
@@mikelembke5121 Lake Chickamauga has an area that is deemed Hiwwasse Wildlife Refuge and it is always fished during BASS tournaments.
@@bearman9486 does it have any obstructions to get into it
I honestly think they're pissed about him winning in a MLF TOURNAMENT and they were afraid that he was going to win one of theirs in the same season
If you saw Poche at the elite series weigh in today he looked like he was pissed and didn't have any comments for Dave Mercer
Good show randy !!! Kieth is an awesome fisherMAN , these newbies can’t handle that old school pressure . They don’t want to work for the win !
I think Keith Poche enjoys and thrives on the limelight of self made tournament controversy. I hope Keith didn’t upset the conservation, wildlife and the nature of the semi protected Wildlife Management Area by jumping over a dam and stirring up the water with his Mercury outboard and 36 volt trolling motor.
Keith could have simply asked the BASS tournament director prior to the first competition day if it was ok to access the WMA area. It would have saved a lot of headaches.
I'm not a regular viewer of your channel but I came here to hear your opinion on this. I just know you are a pros pro and wanted to see your take on it. I agree with you 💯
You can fish Bassmaster Elite and Bass Pro Tour in the same season?
if this was a court case based on their own rules I can’t see how BASS could win . Their rules lack a tremendous amount of clarity and that really surprises me as long as BASS has been around . Just like the disqualification of an open angler who didn’t have proper insurance liability limits who fished I think 2 days before it was discovered . You would think they would have had procedures in place before that fisherman was allowed to compete day 1 . Been a BASS member for 30 plus years but it doesn’t seem to be the finely tuned organization I always thought it was
Think about the Pheonix, Ranger, Skeeter, Bass Cat boats that can't get to where he was at!
I believe there are people anglers & officials who are deliberately trying to push Keith out. They are jealous and he takes away from the narrative that of the need for expensive electronics, boats, and other high dollar items. So there very could be sponsor’s and anglers pushing Bass to make it extremely difficult for anyone who fishes like Keith to succeed.
Aluminum boats are nowhere near as expensive as 21ft bass boat with 4 or more graphs it doesn't sell products for them
Im only thirty one years old ive grown up bass fishing grew watching every tournament a guy could watch and its really embarrassing to watch live scope winning tournaments and the guys using it to win if it was me i would be embarrassed! Keith is a breath of fresh air good job 👍
Professional bass fishing has me so confused. I thought Keith Poche fished in the MLF which is the Bass Pro Tour?
Loving the insights in the now famous"Tackle Room"🤠
Randy, I don’t always agree with you.. but this is spot on. They are trying to run his style off, and he is fishing for the working class.
100 percent agree with you on this Randy it’s a shame
Your exactly like me on the issue. Im sure other anglers probably had something to do with it as well. Just like the forward facing sonar I don’t like it won’t ever buy it I believe its wrong and should not be used period in tournaments but TD of all trails no matter the size is scared to say anything. Today the issue is all about money not about the sport anymore. Thats my opinion anyway for what its worth.
I don’t have all the information to make a solid judgment but if he accessed an area not directly connected to the lake he violated the rules. My understanding is that it’s part of the lake property but has no navigable connection. Similar to fishing an oxbow lake on the Mississippi but not really part of the river.
Let Josh Jones and Ben dominate with live scope... BASS will change rules because big name money makers will shut it down
The only graph he has at the front of the boat is livescope.
ive been kind of watching and following and from what ive gathered to this point is that the refuge that he got into is a totally seperate body of water, not connected by water. im with you about getting into those hard to reach places and wish they would remove some of the limits they place on those that are willing to do the work. i usually take atleast one chainsaw with me to a tournament when the rules dont forbid it ;)
It would be fun to see what BASS would do if someone showed up to an event with a legit side scanning sonar, like the ones they use on the commercial tuna boats that can shoot beams out hundreds of feet.
For once, I 100% agree with everything you said, Randy.
I think you are 100% right. Chainsaws and cutting stuff, can be a tricky thing due to public land rules and stuff. But otherwise, I mean one of the best anglers on top consistently Jacob wheeler, has MANY of his own RUclips videos of him during tournaments pushing pulling and dragging his boat around up shallow. May be different tournament rules for different tournaments but I think that should be perfectly ok. Hell before long we’ll have guys putting active trackers in fish and fishing for them and itl be legal. 🤷🏻♂️😂
Good Points Randy!! I agree with you!! Stay Safe & god Bless!!!
Just my 2 cents..I think B.A.S.S. has got their panties in wad against Keith with him also fishing the BPT. He's won an event on the BPT and if memory serves me think he opted out of a BASS event to fish a BPT Derby.
Using livescope can definitely use creativity and ingenuity, just like side scan, etc
Did he or did he not get out of the boat to get up the roller ramp?
This sport has really gone off the rails. A damn shame. You put it in plain English. Thanks.
Here is a thought when you enter a tournament you sign an agreement stating to abide by the rules if you do not like the rules do not fish the tournament. Do not agree to abide by the rules and then break them. If you are unsure about something, phone the tournament director for clarification.
Exactly spot on. Bass caters to the big sponsors
Doesn’t it say in the rule book not to fish outside of tournament waters, and not crossing dry land to get to said waters? If so, jumping a land bridge with your boat is definitely against the rules.
I can see it coming. BASS will implement a new rule that will put minimum hp and minimum lengths on boats so they can eliminate this completely.
aside from mouth hooking, culling, and other good competitive rules on edge cases that are pretty justifiable, this is a hunting sport; maybe not the chainsaw, maybe flag barriers, but I agree that it should ultimately be about fishing, not arbitrary rules about boat size and horse power
Love poche and John cox. Those dudes are awesome how they fish
If Kieth p. Got D.q.,what happened with his coangler?
I remember i believe you sunk your boat to access an area under a bridge on Kerr/buggs island years ago! lol way to think outside the box.
They have basically turned tournaments into Glamping.
I was very disappointed in BASS about this decision. I’d have been DQ’d every time I fished the Delaware, Upper Bay or CT River
Apparently it’s not illegal to get out of the boat to retrieve a lure, next time get hung up, break off the lure, get out of the boat and push across the flat , get back in and fish
GO KEITH GO!! I love his wit and aggressiveness! GO KEITH GO!!
Your a 100% right randy that is straight up BS
Remember you called Ranger boats to see if you could pull your plug out to lower your profile to fish an area and back in the day that was considered cool, now if a guys 21 ft 100000 boat can’t get in there it’s off limits
Prior to 8 a.m. local time the day before the tournament is scheduled to begin, any
questionable areas must be brought to the attention of tournament officials to be
considered tournament waters. Questionable areas will be off limits until a determination
can be made with authorities and may be announced in the briefing or via text for all to
know unless determined otherwise by tournament officials. Directly from the 2023 rule book, that simple step would have solved his problem completely. Should it be a rule? Maybe, maybe not but it is and he agreed to fish by them.
Randy, Did you check the rules to see if he broke them? Would you make another video if he did?
Wildlife rules and bass’s rules are two different things. Everyone’s always bitching about FFS and it’s advantages over other anglers. Keith did something legitimately no one in the field could do. Sounds like everyone was at a disadvantage. Cool jump logs and get into back waters but when your out of tournament water for over 100ft on rollers that’s to much.